Ophiura 4523

F 93004.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat, 8 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered or triangular with rounded corners, contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1–3 plates between them; 1.3–1.7 times long as wide, and length 0.23 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, obscured by skin, with a visible diameter of 1.1–2.4 mm, overlapping; primary plates visible. Arm comb present, with papillae long pointed spiniform, 2 or more time long as wide or blunt or round ended, as wide as long, separated radially.

The ventral interradial surface is with skin-covered plates. The oral shields are exposed, circular or teardrop or pentagonal, wider than long or as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, bordered by spines or papillae, blunt or rounded, as wide as long, usually contiguous. The jaw is as wide as long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, as wide as long. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, rounded or quadrangular. The oral tentacle pore is located out of the jaw on top of the ventral disc, with a ring of scales surrounding the pore.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform or basally constricted, 2–4 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous or separated, without spines/granules; diamond, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, rounded or hexagonal, notched or concave laterally, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, squashed teardrop or pentagonal, notched or concave laterally, and 1–1.2 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with several scales as a ring of many scales around the pore, reducing in number, not covering the pore or covering the pore, oval. There are 0–2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 4–5 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.2–0.5 times as long as one arm segment, blunt, cylindrical.

Description exported from Delta key and to be finalised when DNA sampling completed. Note species description and image characters may vary slightly in animals of different size within the same species.

Cite this publication as: "T O'Hara (2010). ‘Ophiuroids from deep sea southern Australia. Museum Victoria. Version: 1.0 http://www.museumvictoria.com.au/stars"
Information updated 5 February 2010

MUSEUMVICTORIA